bettle



P. BEETLE,

Watch Case.

No. 24,986. Patented Aug. 9, 1859.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE P. BETTLE, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

WATCH-CASE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 24,986; dated August 9, 1859.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP BETTLE, foreman to Messrs. Carley and Company, of Ely Place, in the city of London watchmakers, have invented an Improvement in the Construction of Watches; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of my said invention.

The object of this improvement in the construction of watches is to enable the wearer of a watch to transform it from a hunter to an open faced watch or vice versa at pleasure without detaching the box or inner case from the outer case. To this end I mount the box or inner case which contains the movement in a swivel frame or ring which forms the central portion or frame of the outer case. The box or inner case has a glass cover in front to expose the watch dial to view and the back of it may be plain engine-turned engraved or otherwise ornamented. To the opposite sides of the swivel frame an open ring or rim and a back plate cover or shell are hinged the open ring or rim at one side and the back plate cover or shell at the other side and these together form the outer case which closes upon and fits tightly against the ex terior of the box containing the works. The pendant is attached to a swivel pin which passes through a short tube or socket fixed to the swivel frame or ring or through an orifice in that frame or ring and is secured in some convenient manner to the periphery of the inner case or box containing the works. Opposite to this pin and pendant and on the other side of the watch case is a swivel pin which is also afiixed to and passes through the swivel frame and enters a hole or socket in the movement case. It will now be understood that when the rim and back plate of the outer case are both open the watch is free to swivel or turn on the swivel pins in either the one direction or the other for the purpose of bringing either the face or the back of the box or inner case to that side of the outer case at which the open ring v or shell of the outer case is closed the dial can only (as in case of a hunting watch) be seen by raising the plate or shell which covers it. And thus a watch made according to my invention may at pleasure be made to resemble a hunting watch or an open faced watch as may be desired.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown variousfigures of part-s of a watch and some of its appendages when construct ed upon my improved plan and drawn upon an enlarged scale.

Figure 1 is a front view of the box or inner case containing the watch movement detached or removed from the outer case but with the pendant attached thereto:

Fig. 2 is another front view of the box or inner case mounted upon swivels at opposite sides of its periphery within the swivel frame or ring of the outer case some of the parts in this figure being shown in section and others (behind the box or inner case) in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is another view of the same with the pendant removed from the pin (Z, and Fig. at is a view of the inner case and outer case with the pendant upward.

In all these three figures the outer case is represented as open with the inner or movement case (1, turned upon the swivel pins 0, and 17, into such a position as to be at right angles to the swivel frame or ring I), 7), which forms the central portion of the outer case. To the lower part of the central ring Y), b, the back plate cover or shell 6, which (when shut) forms the closed or reverse side of the outer case is hinged as seen at Figs. 2, 3 and 4e and to one side of the ring 6, is also hinged the open ring or rim f, which constitutes the open or obverse side of the outer case. The movement box or inner case a. is mounted upon swivels at two of its opposite sides or edges within the swivel frame or ring 7). so as to be capable of turning on the swivel pins c. and (7, within the swivel frame or ring 7), in the one direction or the other for the purpose of bringing the dial or the back plate or cover of the box or inner case next to the open ring or rim f, on the open or obverse side of the outer case when that case is closed.

The pendant gof the watch is fixed to the inner case so as to form a handle whereby it may be turned around but I find it convenient in practice and for the convenience of connecting the several parts together that the pendant should be capable of being detached therefrom. I therefore prefer to construct the pendant and its attachments in the manner shown in the drawingFig. 5 shows one pendant detached from the watch-and Fig. 6 represents the central part of the movement box or inner case which is secured in the swivel frame I), in the following manner: The pin 0, is screwed through the swivel frame Z), so as to allow of its pointed end projecting beyond the inner edge of the frame and to admit of such end being inserted into a hole or socket made in the central portion of the movement box or inner case as shown at i, in Fig. 6 and also in Fig. 2 the pin (Z, (Figs. 1, 2, and 5,) is secured in the pendant g, in any convenient manner. The lower end of the pin is made square and is fitted into a corresponding hole or socket j, (Fig. 6) of the movement case in which it is secured by a holding pin or screw passed through a hole made in the square socket and screwed into the square end of the pin (Z. WVhen therefore it is desired to secure the movement box or inner case a upon its swivels within the swivel frame 6, the swivel pin 0, must be inserted into the hole or socket 2' of the movement box or inner case and the pin (Z, must be passed through the short pipe h, of the swivel frame I), and inserted into the square orifice j, of the movement box or inner case a in which it is to be secured by the cross pin or screw above mentioned.

WVhat I claim as my invention and improvement and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The attachment of the inner case containing the movement of the outer case by means of pins or pivots so that the movement case can be turned over to face the open or closed side of the outer case without being removed from the outer case.

2. Attaching the pendant handle to the movement case so that it forms one of the centers or pivots on which the watch turns in connection and combination with a pin or pivot on the opposite side of the case.

3. The particular form and manner of constructing the pendant and attaching the same to the inner or movement case hereinbefore described and shown in the accompanying drawings.

In witness whereof I the said PHILIP BETTLE have hereunto set my hand and seal the fifth day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty nine.

PHILIP BETTLE. Witnesses FRED TALKERSON, C. J. IVINTERsILL. 

